Colorado County District Court Records, Minute
Book E, p. 213; Colorado Citizen, October 19, 1871, August 6, 1874,
September 10, 1874, October 28, 1875, November 4, 1875, December 23, 1875,
January 13, 1876, April 13, 1876, May 18, 1876, July 20, 1876, August 17, 1876,
January 11, 1877, April 12, 1877, February 8, 1877, April 19, 1877, January 17,
1878, January 24, 1878; Rowan Green, Colorado County, Texas: Its Health,
Climate, Soil, Advantages and Resources, Columbus: Colorado Citizen, 1877.
Some people, notably Washington County's state senator, Matthew Gaines, a black
man, had strongly suggested that Texas attempt to encourage immigration from
Africa. He was motivated at least in part by his belief that a marked increase
in the number of whites in the state relative to the number of blacks would
erode black political power. Colorado County's state senator, Robert P. Tendick,
though a Republican, ridiculed the notion of encouraging African immigration in
a speech he made on April 19, 1871, saying in part: "The children of the
ancestors of Senator Gaines do not encumber their minds with money used as a
valuable medium of circulation: many of them even never thought of the luxury of
clothing to cover themselves. Now, then, will the Senator inform me who would
pay the passage of his countrymen," and "If the Senator from Washington is
afraid, as he said, that too many white people are coming into the State, and
they would sooner or later tell him to pick up his little carpet bag and leave,
I think for that reason, if no other, he should encourage the emigration of
people of the Northern States and Europe, who come here with the inherent
doctrine of political equality to all; whereas on the other hand, if we do not
counterbalance that immense immigration which is pouring in from the Southern
States, every one with State sovereignty on the brain, his prophesy might come
to pass, and certainly if the State administration should unfortunately become
Democratic" (see Speech of Hon. R. P. Tendick on Immigration, Delivered in
the Senate of the State of Texas, April 19, 1871, n. p., n. d.).